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Tn'lch
The Tn'lch are a race that lies in the vast gap between mammals and insects. They are warm-blooded, with both an endoskeleton and an exoskeleton with a rubbery outer surface. Most have two eyes and are bipedal; it becomes difficult to generalize after that. The Tn'lch undergo a strange sort of genetic specialization at age ten, during their "pupa" stage. At this point, a Tn'lch youngster must decide which caste he will enter; a member of the Noble Caste injects him with certain enzymes, and the youth develops into one of several adult forms. The Noble Caste (or Gial'chni, in their language) appears tall and spindly, nearly seven feet in height, with a brilliant blue exoskeleton, four eyes, and a tiny set of nonfuctional wings. The Gial'chni are the only caste that can make the enzymes that can change other Tn'lch, and as such, only a few pupae are chosen for this caste. The Soldier Caste (Wu'chni) vary from five to six feet in height, with massive, hardened exoskeletal plates, curving, scimitarlike claws that extend from their wrists, and powerful jaws that can bite through almost anything. They only have two eyes beneath their bulbous, portruding foreheads, and their exoskeleton is typically black. It is also worth noting that the Wu'chni are the only Tn'lch that do not wear clothing. The Merchant Caste (Clr'chni) appear almost homonid - they typically stand six feet tall, and their tan exoskeletons are so soft to the touch, and have so little segmentation that they can pass for human... if you happen to be exceptionally drunk at the time. Their eyes are still exceptionally large, and they have no body hair (as with all Tn'lch). The Merchant Caste is also the Tn'lch's caste of scholars and mages. Finally, the Worker Caste (Ia'chni) appear something like tall, homonid beetles; their exoskeletons run the entire range of colors, their limbs are long and lean, but suprisingly powerful, and their long heads seem to seamlessly blend into their necks, which flow into long, ovoid bodies. They have two pairs of long wings that fold beneath a shell on their backs, and can fly easily. Tn'lch reach adulthood at eleven years of age, and live to be between one and eight hundred years old, depending on their caste. They live in large Hive Cities, broad structures of ceramic, marble, and wondrous substances that members of the Ia'chni actually create within their bellies. These hives are all found in desert areas, especially the Eastern Steppes. Tn'lch are beings of order, and while they are typically percieved as arrogant and condescending, they associate well with the Helvelings, and nominally well with the Drengu. Society Despite the attempts at revolution during the infamous Tn'lch Insurrection (Side note: For those of you that don't remember, the Tn'lch Synod was temporarily held ransom by a group of revolutionaries; the history of the event is fairly complex, but it involved them entering the Decade War in an attempt to subjugate the losing Trollish and Goblin peoples) the society of these insectoids has remained much the same. A carefully chosen Synod of Gial'chni watch over the affairs of the race; each member of a caste has a defined role in society, and performs this role to his or her best abilities. The Tn'lch could very well have become a postmonetary society, but they maintain a currency based in Platinum. The Tn'lch are a people of unified vision and philosophy; however, they are divided in religion. Many take to the animist religion of the Helvelings. Many more have planted their faith in the Sacred Triune. Still others believe in a sort of divine philosophy, by which they attempt to transcend the "veil of the real". They tolerate all religions equally in their hive-states, as long as you can debate the key points of your religion well. Magi aren't exactly common amongst the Tn'lch, but the ones they have do their job exceedingly well. Young Tn'lch Magi are often too hard on themselves when things go wrong, and thus lapse into other areas of study. Let it never be said that the Tn'lch do not believe in perfectionism. The Tn'lch tend to live in especially hot climes, making traditional forms of gardening especially difficult for them. Instead, they grow massive underground crops of fungi, and overground farms of edible cacti, especially hardy peppers, and succulents. Likewise, they maintain herds of Guadons - two-story tall terrapins with hollow shells that the Tn'lch use for transportation and for beasts of burden - and giant tarantulas - which are harvested for both meat, and a digestive juice that the Tn'lch drink like alcohol. Family A Tn'lch considers the entire Hive City he comes from to be his family, so much so that they use the name of the Hive in place of a family name. Tn'lch do not suffer from inbreeding, thankfully, or marriages would become a logistic nightmare; a typical Tn'lch family consists of a mated couple and their children. Once a child becomes an adult, he is no longer part of the family, although about half of the time they still act as if they are. Cultural/Misc Tn'lch food appears incredibly exotic; the food is always coated with thick, spicy sauces, and what's beneath is never what you expect. They have no "breads" to speak of, but they do have puffy mushrooms that look - and to an extent, taste - like dinner rolls. Their meats are typically insect, arachnid, or lizard meat, and their vegetables are never what they seem to be. Despite the frightening sound of it, it is absolutely addictive. My mouth still waters when I think of their Ceile Bowls - their most common lunch food, a deep bowl of ribbon fungi, sandcrab meat, and sour-sweet orange cacti jelly, served cold. Tn'lch music is highly austere and ritualized; not suprisingly, operas are the most popular musical form among them. Members of the Gial'chni and Clr'chni are typically the center of these pieces, mostly because of their superior vocal range. However, one performance I went to recently starred a Wu'chni with an amazing sotto bass voice... halfway through the first movement, he hit a low "B" that you couldn't really hear, but you felt in your kidneys. Absolutely astounding. Tn'lch literature is almost all history; fictionalized, mythic versions of what actually happened, but history nonetheless. They have a tendency to strap on the rose-colored glasses when dealing with their own race, and an equally annoying tendency to treat other races as barbarians... or worse, as younger siblings. I only visited one Tn'lch library; mostly because I couldn't stomach the thought of another librarian standing over my shoulder, offering to read the "Epic of Ime A'ts'ii" aloud for (I kid you not) the "proper dramatic effect". And before you draw the conclusion that I just had the misfortune to run into one of the truly odd ones, my guide (an Ia'chni himself) assured me that almost anyone with a passion for Tn'lch literature would act much the same. 07:38, December 11, 2010 (UTC)07:38, December 11, 2010 (UTC)07:38, December 11, 2010 (UTC)07:38, December 11, 2010 (UTC)~ Clr'chni Medium size Base speed: 30 ft. Adapted eyesight: Clr'chni can see twice as far as Humans in well-lit conditions. They gain a +4 on all Spot checks in such conditions, and cannot be blinded or dazzled by bright light. Other sight-based effects still affect them normally. Exoskeleton: Clr'chni gain a +1 natural armor bonus. Consummate Professionalism: Clr'chni always treat Profession as a class skill, and at every level beyond 1st, gain one free point in Profession. Heat tolerance: Clr'chni can go twice as long as Humans without water, and go twice as long before making Fortitude saves to combat the effects of heat. Redundant Skeleton: Clr'chni have both an endo and exoskeleton, and can function fine with just one of the two intact. Favored Class: Wizard 07:38, December 11, 2010 (UTC)07:38, December 11, 2010 (UTC)07:38, December 11, 2010 (UTC)Bloodtide 07:38, December 11, 2010 (UTC) Gial'chni Medium Size -2 con, +2 wis. Gial'chni are fragile, but are suited for their tasks as rulers. Base speed: 30 feet. Exoskeleton: Gial'chni gain a +1 natural armor bonus. Improved Eyesight: Gial'chni gain a +4 on spot checks in bright light, and can see 1.5 times the distance a normal human can in such conditions. Enzyme Control: Gial'chni secrete the enzymes used for controlling Tn'lch growth and development. While the enzymes themselves are fairly innocuous to other races, they have an antidotic effect to most poisons; Gial'chni gain a +4 on saves against mundane poisons. Natural leaders: Gial'chn gain the Leadership feat for free at twelfth level; if they already have it, they gain +2 to their leadership score.i Favored Class: Aristocrat. PC Gial'chni may choose Cleric or Rogue as their Favored Class. Wu'chni Large Size +4 str, +2 con, -4 dex, -2 cha. Wu'chni are exceptionally tough and resilliant, but tend to be dextrous as bulls in a china shop, and only slightly more charming. +4 Natural Armor bonus. Wu'chni have extremely tough shells. Natural Weapons: A Wu'chni has a bite attack that deals 1d8 piercing damage and two claws that deal 1d6 slashing damage. Unlike most natural weapons, a Wu'chni's claws can be sundered; treat the claws as steel Scimitars with double the normal hardness for such purposes. The claws do grow back over time; this takes about four months, but the hardness is half normal at first, gaining one point of hardness per week until it's back at normal. Complete bed rest halves the time. Hooded hands: A Wu'chni's hands are half-hidden behind thick armor plates and long claw-blades. As such, they suffer a -4 penalty on Dexterity checks involving fine hand movement, particularly Sleight of Hand checks, and a -2 penalty on attacks with light or one-handed weapons besides their natural weapons. If the Wu'chni's claws are lost, the -4 penalty drops to a -2, and the attack penalty is removed entirely. Improved Vision: Wu'chni can see double the distance a human can in conditions of bright light, as the Clr'chni. Ponderous Bulk: Ordering armor for Wu'chni is an involved affair; it must always be custom-made due to their odd shapes, and costs about three times the standard rate to armor a creature of similar size. This bulk is a mixed blessing, though; opponents are at -4 to bull rush or overrun Wu'chni. Inbred Duty: Wu'chni must make a will save whenever they take an action that will directly harm or go against the laws of Tn'lch society. A minor infraction takes a dc15 save, anything else a dc20. Failure indicates that the Wu'chni simply refuses to do it; failure by more than 10 means he is honor-bound to report the person who is attempting to goad him into this behaviour (if any). Because of this, Wu'chni cannot be chaotic. Favored Class: Fighter Ia'chni Medium Size +2 con, -2 wis. Ia'chni are hard workers, but a little dense at times. Exoskeleton: Ia'chni gain a +2 natural armor bonus. Wings: Ia'chni have a flight speed of 30 feet, with average maneuverability. Engineering sense: Ia'chni always treat Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) as a class skill, and gain one free point in it for every level after first. Natural Synthesis: Ia'chni create various natural ceramics within their gullets, and can cough up about half a pound of malleable material a day. If they have ample amounts of hot peppers, increase this amount to two pounds. The material can replace steel, iron, or stone depending on how it's used in crafting; however, only Ia'chni know how to use it properly. Ia'chni gain one rank in Craft (Masonry) at first level, representing the work they've learned how to do with their natural by-products. Dull reflexes: Ia'chni are dextrous, but don't react too quickly. They take a -1 penalty on Reflex saves, and treat Lightning Reflexes as a prerequisite for both Improved Initiative and Quick Draw. Favored Class: Rogue or Expert Category:Monstrous humanoids Category:Insectoids